Vehicle-jack.



Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Inventor Witnesse Attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS C0 FHDTU-LITHUA. WASHINGION. Dv c C. E. WARNER.

VEHICLE JA'CK.

APPLICATION FILED MAYM. x914.

Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor Witnesses Attorneys 40 pied thereby when the vehicle is supported CHARLES E. WARNER, OF OTTAW'A, KANSAS.

VEHICLE-JACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed May 1 1, 1914. Serial No. 838,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CnAnLns EVVARNER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Jack, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle jacks and is more particularly designed as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in an application filed by me on February 15, 1913, Serial No. 748,668.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a jack which can be readily adjusted for use in connection with vehicles of different lengths and which is provided with a novel arrangement of toothed elements whereby the structure is caused to operate positively. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, with- In said drawings :Figure 1 is a planview of the 1' ack. -Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one pair of racks and the lifting gears engaging the same, the adjacent portions. of the jack structure being shown. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing the parts shifted to the positions occuout of contact with the ground. Fig. 4 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of lifting element, the position of the axle engaging Fig.

Fig. 7 is a beam l may connect the beams 1 adjacent I I their centers. Flanged plates 5 extend from the rear ends of the beams 1 and converge rearwardly as shown, these plates constituting deflectors so that, should a wheel come into contact with either of them, it would be deflected laterally, thus to insure straddling of the frame by the vehicle. As shown, these plates 5 are slotted transversely, as at 6, to receive clamping bolts 7. Thus the deflecting plates can be adjusted toward or from each other.

Mounted on the beams 2 are parallel bars 8, each of which is formed with an integral rack bar 9 curved upwardly and forwardly, there being an upstanding guide flange 10 along the outer side of each rack bar and a reinforcing web 1 1 under each rack bar, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Ears 12 extend inwardly from the end portions of each bar 8 and bear downwardly on the beams 2, these cars being slotted longitudinally and adapted to receiveclamping bolts 18. Thus it will be seen that the bars 8 can be adjusted toward or from each other.

Supported by the front beams 3 are parallel bars 1a. which extend downwardly between the beams 3 and are provided, between said beams, with straight rack bars 15 along the outer sides of which are provided guard flanges 16. Each of these guard flanges has a series ofnotches 17 in its upper edge. Ears 18 extend inwardly from the end portions of each bar 14 and each of these ears is slotted longitudinally for the reception of a clamping bolt 19 engaging the beam 3 thereunder. Thus it will be seenthat the rack bars 15 can be adjusted toward or from each other upon the base frame.

Deflecting plates 20 are secured to the side beams 1 at points between the ends thereof, preferably opposite the rear ends of the bars 14, these plates 20 having upstanding fianges 21, the ends of which are extended inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1.. These plates constitute means for deflecting the wheels of a vehicle outwardly from the base frame so that said vehicle will be properly centered over the frame while moving into position in engagement with the jack. As shown in Fig.

is secured to one arm of a bell crank lever 26 fulcrumed between the front end portions of the strips 23, the other arm of said lever constituting a foot lever. A spring 27 is secured to the rear end of rod 25 and is connected, by a chain'28, to an upstanding bracket 29 secured between the strips 23. A rod 30 is slidably mounted in the bracket 29 and extends loosely through the gripping member The rear end of this rod is slidably mounted in a bracket 31 and a spring 32 bears at one end against the bracket 31 and at its other end against a nut or head 33 upon the rod, this spring thus operating normally to hold the rod 30 yieldingly in a predetermined position.

The strips 23 and the parts mounted thereon constitute an automatic locking structure which, specifically, forms no part of the present inventionbut has been fully disclosed in a copending application filed by me on December 18,1913, Serial Number 807,530.

Mounted on each of the arcuate rack bars 9 is a segmental gear 34, the two gears being connected, off center, to a transverse shaft 35, each gear having an integral sleeve 36 extending inwardly therefrom through which the shaft extends, said sleeve being secured to the shaft by means of a set screw 37 or the like. .An arm 38 extends from each gear 34 and radiates from the sleeve 36, this arm being provided upon its upper edge with an ear 39 in which a trunnion 40 is pivotally'mounted, this trunnion extending inwardly from a sleeve 41. A cross strip 42 is secured to the rod 30 back of the gripping member 24 and adjustably secured to this cross strip are the forward ends of forwardly converging strips 43 pivotally connected to the upper ends of the respective arms 38, as shown at 44, the rear end of each of these strips 43 being formed with a yoke 45 disposed back of the adjacent segmental gear 34.

Supported by and engaging the rack bars 15 are segmental gears 46. Each of these gears has an inwardly extending sleeve 47 disposed eccentrically thereon and extending through the sleeves and gears is a shaft 48, this shaft being fixedly connected to the gears by set screws 49 or in any other suitable manner. Each of the segmental gears has an arm 50 formed with a U-shaped seat 51 in its end, the front wall of each seat be ing extended upwardly, and rounded as at 52 so as to constitute a finger for the purpose hereinafter set forth. A nose 53 is extended forwardly and laterally from each gear and is adapted, when the gear is shifted to a predetermined position, to become seated in one of the notches 17, thus limiting the movement of the gear in one direction. Each gear 46 has a trunnion 54 mounted therein adjacent the base of its arm 50, said trunnion extending laterally from a sleeve 55. Mounted within the sleeves 41 and 55 are parallelconnecting rods 56 and set screws 57 are carried by the said sleeves and engage these rods for the purpose of holding the rods against movement relative to the sleeves. It is to be understood that the gears 34 and 46 are held by gravity normally in the positions illustrated in Fig. 2, at which time the yokes 45 are supported below the patn of the axles of a vehicle while the finger 52 extends upwardly into the path of the front axle of a vehicle. Consequently, when a vehicle is propelled longitudinally along the jack with its wheel traveling at opposite sides of the jack, the front axle ofthe vehicle will pass over the gear 34 and yokes 45 and, as the rear axle assumes a position directly over the yokes 45, the front axle will strike against the upstanding fingers parted by the forwardly moving vehicle will cause the gears 46 to travel forward on the racks 15 until the front axle, which assumes a position in the seats 51, is elevated above and slightly past the shaft 48 whereupon the noses 53 will become seated in certain of the notches 17 so as to limit the movement of the gears 46. During this actuation of the gears 46, the rods 56 will pull on the arms 38 and cause the gears 34 to travel forwardly and upwardly alongthe arcuate racks 9, thereby bringing the yokes 45 against the rear axle and elevating said axle so as to lift the rear wheels off the ground. As the gears are actuated in the manner described the rods 43 push the rod 30 forwardly so that it slides within the gripping member 24 and as will be seen by referring to Figs. 7 and 8 said member will prevent the rod and, consequently the gears 34, from returning to their initial positions. Bypressing against the foot lever 26, the clutch member 24 can be shifted out of gripping position so as to release the rod 30 and thus permit the gears 34 and 46 and The momentum im- 8 the parts carried thereby to gravitate back rack'bars can be adjusted toward or from each other, thus permitting the structure to be adjusted to vehicles of different widths. Furthermore by loosening the set screws 57, the gears 46 can be lifted out of engagement with the rack bars15 and adjusted longitudinally of said bars, thus to adapt the jack to vehicles of different lengths.

Instead of providing the front gears 6 with integral upstanding fingers, as heretofore described, front gears 58 can be used,

each of these gears having a forked portion 59 in which is pivotally mounted one end of an angular finger 60. This finger has one end portion adapted to extend upwardly as at 61 when the finger is in its normal or active position, this upwardly extending portion 61 corresponding with the finger 52. When, however, it is desired to propel a vehicle over the jack without actuating the lifting mechanism, this finger 60 can be shifted to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, whereupon the front axle of the vehicle will not come into engagement with the part 60 but will pass thereover without actuating the gears.

What is claimed is 1. In a vehicle ack, the combination with a base frame, of racks disposed in pairs and mounted on the frame, the racks of each pair being adjustable toward and from each other, segmental gears supported by the respective racks, shafts adjustably mounted within and supported by the gears and constituting connections therebetween, connecting rods, adjustable connections between said rods and the gears, and means carried by the gears for engaging and elevating the axles of a vehicle when brought into position thereagainst.

2. A vehicle jack including a base frame, front and rear rack bars supported thereby and disposed in pairs, the bars of each pair being adjustable toward and from each other, segmental gears mounted upon the respective rack bars, shafts connecting the gears and eccentrically mounted therein, connecting bars, adjustable connections between said bars and the corresponding front and back gears, upstanding axle engaging fingers upon the front gear, there being seats adjacent the fingers for the reception of the front axle of a vehicle, means carried by the rear gears for engaging and supporting the rear axle of a vehicle.

3. A vehicle jack including a base frame, front and rear rack bars supported thereby and disposed in pairs, the bars of each pair being adjustable toward and from each other, segmental gears mounted upon the respective rack bars, shafts connecting the gears and eccentrically mounted therein, connectin bars, adjustable connections between sai bars and the corresponding front and back gears, upstanding axle engaging fingers upon the front gear, there being seats adjacent the fingers for the reception of the front axle of a vehicle, means carried by the rear gears for engaging and supporting the rear axle of a vehicle, the front rack bars having notches therein, and means carried by the front gears for engaging the notched portions of the bars-v to limit the rotation of the gears in one direction.

l. A vehicle jack including a base frame, front and rear rack bars supported thereby and disposed in pairs, the bars of each pair being adjustable toward and from each other, segmental gears mounted upon the respective rack bars, shafts connecting the gears and eccentrically mounted therein,

connecting bars, adjustable connections between said bars and the corresponding front and back gears, upstanding axle engaging fingers upon the front gear, there being seats adjacent the fingers for the reception of the front axle of a vehicle, means carried by the rear gears for engaging and supporting the rear axle of a vehicle, and means for automatically holding the gears against return movement when shifted out of their normal positions.

5. A vehicle jack including a base frame, front and rear rack bars supported thereby and disposed in pairs, the bars of each pair being adjustable toward and from each other, segmental gears mounted upon the respective rack bars, shafts connecting the gears and eccentrically mounted therein, connecting bars, adjustable connections between said bars and the corresponding front and back gears, upstanding axle engaging fingers upon the front gear, there being seats adjacent the fingers for the reception of the front axle of a vehicle, means carried by the rear gears for engaging and supporting the rear axle of a vehicle, the front rack bars having notches therein, means carried by the front gears for engaging the notched portions of the barsto'limit the rotation of the gears in one direction, and means for automatically holding the gears against return movement when shifted out of their normal positions.

6. A vehicle jack including a base frame, deflecting plates adjustably connected to the sides and one end thereof, front and rear rack bars supported by the frame, said bars being disposed in pairs, the bars of each pair being adjustable laterally relative to each other, a gear mounted on each bar, a shaft connecting the corresponding gears and constituting the sole connection therebetween, connecting bars, adjustable connections between said bars and the corresponding gears of the two pairs, locking mechanism, strips connecting the same to the rear gears for holding all of the gears against return movement after being shifted out of as my own, I have hereto aifiXed my signanormal positions, said strips having terture in the presence of two Witnesses.

lninal yokes for engaging and supporting i the rear axle of a vehicle, and means upon CHARLES WARNER v 5 the front gears for engaging and support- Witnesses:

ing the front aXle of a vehicle. W. W. BROYHILL, In testimony that I claim the foregoing F. L. SQUIRES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

